Photo courtesy of Ron Soliman

Who: Philadelphia Union vs CF Montreal

What: MLS Regular Season, Matchday 25

Where: Subaru Park, Chester, Pennsylvania

When: Wednesday, July 16, 7:30 PM EST

Watch: MLS Season Pass on AppleTV

Whistle: Ref: Guido Gonzales Jr, AR1: Walt Heatherly, AR2: Justin Howard, 4th: Fotis Bazakos, VAR: Sorin Stoica, AVAR: TJ Zablocki

Saturday’s win over the New York Red Bulls put the Philadelphia Union back on track and back on top of the Eastern Conference, and vaulted the team into first in the Supporters’ Shield race. Next, the Union host a midweek match against CF Montreal, who sit at the exact opposite end of the table.

Scouting Report: CF Montreal

It has been another brutal season for the Quebecois team, who languish at the bottom of not just the Eastern Conference, but the MLS standings overall. Montreal fired their head coach Laurent Ciman just five games into the season, but haven’t fared much better under interim coach Marco Donadel, and last week were eliminated from the Canadian Championship by Canadian Premier League side Forge FC.

Things won’t be made easier by the departure of key center-back George Campbell. Campbell has been a consistent starter for Montreal since arriving from Atlanta in 2023, but has reportedly been sold to West Brom in the Championship. His absence will hurt what was already one of the leakiest backlines in the league.

One potential positive for Montreal is that DP center forward Prince Owusu has been rounding into form, with eight goals in his last nine games in all competitions. Dante Sealy might also be a contributor after returning from the Gold Cup with Trinidad and Tobago, where the crafty winger scored an impressive solo goal against Saudi Arabia.

• Player Availability: Jalen Neal – Ankle (Out), George Campbell – Not Due to Injury (Out), Giacomo Vrioni – Elbow (Questionable)

Scouting Report: Philadelphia Union

The Union’s form took a bit of a dip at the start of the summer, as injury and international duty severely depleted the squad. But with most of their key players back against the Red Bulls, the Union were back at their best. Philly were dominant en route to a 2-0 win, and could have added several more goals.

Montreal played the Union surprisingly hard in their previous meeting this season, a 2-1 Philly victory at the Stade Saputo. The Union relied on some Andre Blake heroics and Montreal defensive miscues to get a fortunate result in that game.

The Union have a road game in Houston on Saturday, so expect squad rotation across the two games this week as Bradley Carnell attempts to manage minutes amid the heat and fixture congestion. Carnell’s efforts will be aided by the return from injury of Mikael Uhre, which gives the Union some much needed depth up front.

• Player Availability: Ian Glavinovich – Knee (Out), Jesus Bueno – Hamstring (Questionable)

Key Matchup: Brandan Craig vs. Union Forwards

Former Union homegrown center-back Brandan Craig has at long last earned his shot at consistent MLS minutes, starting each of Montreal’s last four games. With Campbell’s departure, Craig will be looking to lock down a starting role for the rest of the season, and should be extra-motivated to do so against his former club. While with the Union, Craig was well-regarded for his passing abilities, but there were questions about his physicality and defense, which could make for an interesting matchup against Bruno Damiani if the Uruguayan starts this game.

Player to Watch: Quinn Sullivan

The elder Sullivan didn’t have quite the summer he was hoping for with the US national team, struggling to break into Pochettino’s rotation as the Gold Cup dragged on. Sullivan recorded a nice assist last game against the Red Bulls, and will look to build his confidence back up against Montreal.

Prediction: Philadelphia Union 3 – 1 CF Montreal

It doesn’t get more trap-game than first vs. worst, but the Union have shown remarkable consistency this year in winning games against inferior opponents, even when rotating the starting eleven.